Liquid clutch



July 11, 1933.v WOHLENHAUS 1,918,163

LIQUID CLUTCH Filed-April 1, 1930 INVVENTOR. L'M/L WOHL ENHAUS ATTORNEY.

Patented July 11, 1933 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMIIi WOHLENHLAUS, F WELCOME, MINNESOTA LIQUID CLUTCH Application filed April 1, 1980. Serial No. 440,817.

This invention relates to clutches, and-more and a stufling box 17. This stuffing box is particularly to a frictionless liquid clutch carried by a flange 18, which corresponds to adapted to transmit power from a driving to the flange 8, and which is riveted, or otherwise a driven element, at variable speeds proporsecured, to the plate 13, as indicated at 19.

tional to the torque resistance of the driven The stufling box serves to provide a fluid 55 elements, so that the usual change speed geartight packing about the shaft 1, while per ing commonly employed in automobiles and mitting rotation of said shaft. A bronze box many other mechanisms, in conjunction with or cap 20 is seated in a recess 21, of the drum clutches, may be eliminated, with resultant and its flange -8, and receives the inner end i economy and simplification. of the shaft-1. The hub of the impeller may 60 In the accompanying drawing: be secured to the shaft 1, in any desired man- Fig. 1 is a center longitudinal sectional ner, as, for example, bya pin 22. The hub is view, and slightly longer than the width of the blades F i 2 is a transverse sectional view through 5, so that with thehub making a snug endthe drum hereinafter described. 4 wise fit between the two sides of the drum,

Like numerals designate corresponding the edges of the blades are held out of dragparts in all of the figures of the drawing. ging contact with the side walls of thedrum.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a Any suitable fluid is placed in the drum, to driving shaft to which power'may be applied the effective level for the purposes sought. through any suitable means, such asa pulley, 1 find oil to be suitable for the purposes, 10 gear, universal joint, or otherwise. For purthough other liquids may be employed, if poses of explanation, I have illustrated a puldesired. Rotation being imparted to shaft ley 2 upon the shaft 1. The outer end of the 1, counter-clockwise 'in Fig. 2, the blades 5 shaft is supported in any suitable form of act to throw the liquid centrifugally outward 75 hearing 3. At its inner end the shaft carries in such manner that the body of liquid a propeller consistingof a hub 4, and, prefforms an interlock "or connection between erably, curved blades or impellers 5. The the blades and the lugs 15, in such manner shape of these blades may vary from that that the drum 7 and shaft 9 are caused shown and still secure desired results. Howto rotate with shaft 1. When in action, a so ever, I have found the shape shown to be there is a void at the center of the body effective, in practice. It will be noted that of liquid, due to the-fact that the liquid has the terminal ends of the blades are bent in niovedoutwardly into the spaces between the such manner as to form cup-like elements 6, lugs. I which serve a purpose hereinafter set forth. t is apparent that whenever the load 011 The impeller is disposed in a drum 7. A shaft 9 exceeds the effective bite or engageflange 8, of a driven shaft 9, is secured by ment between blades 5 and lugs 15, there will riveting, welding, or otherwise, as indicated. be such slippage or relative movement beat 10, to the drum 7, so that this drum and tween the impeller and the drum as will, in shaft are caused to turn together. The shaft efl'ect, bring about a slower rotation of shaft 40 9 is supported in any suitable form of bear- 9 than that of shaft 1. Thus, in starting a ing, indicated at 11, and it may carry a pulley load, such as an automobile, from a stand- 12, or any other suitable power transmitting. still, when the resistance torque is great, the element. The drumlis provided with an open driven shaft may be driven by shaft 1 maside which is normally closed by a plate 13, terially slower than shaft 1, while, as the resaid plate constituting aside of the drum. sistance torque decreases, as the vehicle gains This plate is held in place by cap screws or momentum, shaft 9 will begin to approach stud bolts 14, said screws entering suitable the rate of speed of shaft 1, and the speed threaded recesses .formed in inwardly prowith which shaft 9 approaches the degree of jecting radiaLlugs 15. The drum is rendered rotation of shaft 1 will be directly propor- Mn fluid tight by the provision of a gasket 16, F tional to the resistance torque. Thus, the

usual change speed gearing employed in automobiles may be dispensed with, and the operations.

In practice, I find the blades illustrated in the drawing, to be highly effective. The inner portions of the blades set the whole body of liquid in motion, rapidly, while the cups 6 enable the blades to get such a hold on the liquid as to effectively thrust or push it against the lugs, and this gives a very efiectivc bite or engagement between the blades and the lugs.

While I have found the construction shown to be highly eflicient in operation, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement described, but that the invention includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A transmission apparatus of the character described comprising a driving shaft, :1

driven shaft, an impeller carried by the driving shaft comprising a plurality of radial blades of curved formation with their convex sides dis osed forwardly and with their terminal en s curved to cup formation, a

drum carried 'by the driven shaft in which said impeller is disposed, and a plurality of radial blades disposed about the inner periphery of the drum and adapted to be engaged by liquid thrown outwardly by the im-- peller, the spacing of the blades of the impeller and the blades of the drum bein such, with relation to each other, that the lades of the drum are simultaneously aligned with the blades of the impeller, and a plurality of the blades of the drum lie between a pair of blades of the impeller.

2. A transmission apparatus of the character described, comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft, a drum carried by the driven shaft, a plurality of inwardly directed blades disposed about the inner. periphery of the drum and a plurality of blades constituting whereof I aflix my signature 

